Mental Health Coordinator

General Summary

Provides leadership, staff development and technical assistance to Program clusters and classroom staff in the planning, development, implementation, management, and evaluation of disability and mental health services for the Head Start 0-5 Program. Assists the staff to identify the children with disabilities to meet their special needs and those of their parents. Plans and schedules arrangements with other agencies to assure timely efficient services.

Primary Responsibilities

1.Assist in conducting the annual community assessment of the service area disability and mental health needs and participates in the program-wide Self-Assessment.

2.Guides the development of annual quantitative and qualitative goals and objectives for disability and mental health services in the Head Start Program including each cluster area and the classroom.

3.Serves as a training and technical assistance resource and works closely with staff to achieve qualitative and quantitative disabilities and mental health outcomes by providing instructional material, performing on-site assessments and analysis, developing and providing training for identified issues.

4.Organizes, schedules, and participates in the Admission, Review, and Dismissal meetings, to include : the compilation of appropriate documents, progress reports and assist families to have input on developing individual goals as they participate in the Individualized Education (IEP) and Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).IEP's and progress reports.

5.Utilize the inter-agency referral form to track and assure that children with disabilities and mental health concerns are referred and receive the necessary services in a timely manner.

6.Assures that all children receiving services for disabilities and mental health have been professionally diagnosed within a timeline that is in accordance with the Head Start Program Performance Standards.

7.Designs systems and processes and recommends practices in the disability and mental health content area to support the growth and development of children and parents, and to assure compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, School Readiness Goals and other applicable requirements. Works closely with other content area to provide comprehensive services.

8.Guides the development of an efficient system for documentation and reporting for the disability and mental health services, including instruments used to assess and measure the number of disability and mental health services provided and assures compliance with the Head Start Performance Standards and other applicable requirements.

9.Assist in collecting and analyzing child outcome data from the DECA, and the mental health tracking on a monthly basis to determine training and technical assistance needs, trends and areas of improvement.

10.Provides documentation, prepare reports and other data as directed to include supplies, equipment, training and other costs as directed by the immediate supervisor.

11.Provide and / or coordinate training and educational opportunities for parents and develop links to area-related agencies and organizations.

12.Utilizes and maintains current information, material, guides and other resources and community organizations and disseminates materials to staff on a regular basis.

13.Assist staff in the selection of materials and equipment being used in the classroom at a given time to meet the needs of special needs children.

14.Support cluster staff with concerns of the classroom environment and inclusion of children with special needs. Guides staff and parents concerning screening, assessments and referrals.

15.Networks with community organizations in order to promote the Head Start Program.

16.Complies with the Program's confidentiality policy.

17.Any other duty as assigned by the Disabilities and Mental Health Manager.

Work Experience

• At least 3 years experience in Head Start

Education / Certifications / Licensure

Skills Required

Physical Requirements

If a preliminary offer of employment is extended, a physical will be required before the offer can be accepted.

Able to perform the following physical requirements of the position with or without reasonable accommodation : critical sensory requirements include general vision; specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Hear or listen in the normal range (corrected) and speak and give directions clearly. Able to walk, sit, stand, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects up to 10 lbs., and occasionally lift and / or move up to 25 pounds.

Working Conditions :

Work is performed in a classroom / office setting where minimal exposure to injury exists. Hours of work will generally be during regular business hours and average at least 40 hrs. Per week. There will be work variations in work hours due to employee special projects, and deadlines.

Welcome to Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST)!

CACOST is a private non-profit organization established in 1971 and funded through federal, state and local grants. CACOST currently serves 16 counties via a wide variety of community programs and services. CACOST lives its mission each day, which is to continuously improve the lives of South Texans by providing high quality health care, education, housing and economic opportunities to reduce poverty through services and partnerships.

CACOST is looking for employees who are interested in accomplishing our mission, which can be both rewarding and challenging. We count on our employees to contribute directly to the growth and success of our agency. Because the quality of our staff is the key to our success, we carefully select our new employees. Apply today to join our CACOST family and take pride in being a member of our team.